1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to internal combustion engines. In particular, the present invention pertains to systems and methods for reducing emission of atmospheric pollutants from internal combustion engines, and to systems and methods for earning emission credits with the Environmental Protection Agency for such reduction. More specifically, the present invention pertains to reducing atmospheric pollutant emission generated by locomotive engines, and systems and methods to earn, bank and trade EPA emission credits.
2. Background of Related Art
Emissions, such as oxides of nitrogen (NOx), hydrocarbons (HC), carbon monoxide (CO), particulate matter (PM), and smoke from diesel-powered locomotives contribute to air pollution in both urban and rural areas, and have significant health and environmental consequences. NOx is a major component of smog and acid rain. NOx emissions combine with HC in the atmosphere to form ground-level ozone, the primary constituent of smog. Ozone is a highly reactive pollutant that damages lung tissue, causes congestion, and reduces vital lung capacity, in addition to damaging vegetation. NOx emissions combine with water vapor in clouds to form nitric acid, a major component of acid rain. Acid rain damages buildings and crops, and degrades lakes and streams. NOx also contributes to the formation of secondary PM, which causes headaches, eye and nasal irritation, chest pain, and lung inflammation. Environmental impacts of PM include reduced visibility and deterioration of buildings.
As the public and private sectors have become more aware of the potential damage caused by industrial waste products that are discharged into the atmosphere, there has been an increased recognition and demand for monitoring and minimizing, to the extent possible, the discharge of such materials into the atmosphere. In that regard, the United States government, through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has established certain regulations for the level of different types of emissions that may be discharged into the atmosphere.
The EPA promulgates emissions standards for locomotives governing emissions of oxides of nitrogen, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and smoke. The EPA monitors compliance with its regulations essentially by requiring certain companies to monitor such emissions and to maintain records of such emissions for reporting to and review by the EPA.
Furthermore, several states have instituted requirements to limit emissions, particularly in susceptible areas or critical seasons or during specific operations, such as idling.
Idling locomotives can be found on the nation""s railroads for a variety of reasons. Locomotives must await the switching and pickup of cars for movement at rail yards, wait for cars to be transferred at a place where two trains meet, wait for another train to clear track on which the locomotive is to proceed, and wait for mechanical service where problems occur. When such events occur, locomotive engines must idle for a variety of reasons:
Because locomotive engine coolant does not contain antifreeze, engines must be kept idling at cold temperatures to avoid freezing of the coolant and cracking of the engine block;
Because external power sources may not be available, locomotive engines must be kept idling to keep heating and air conditioning equipment running;
Because locomotive brakes are operated by air pressure, engines must be kept idling to maintain air pressure and keep the brakes operational; and
Because electric power is dependent upon output from the engine, locomotive engines must be kept running for locomotive radios to work.
Unnecessary idling is contrary to the railroads"" self interests. From an economic perspective, unnecessary idling wastes fuel, a significant railroad expense. From a political perspective, idling can cause friction with neighboring communities. Consequently, all the nation""s major railroads have instituted policies governing when locomotives are to be shut down.
Existing compliance xe2x80x9ckitsxe2x80x9d are expensive to purchase, expensive to maintain, and can result in a 1% to 3% fuel penalty. Prior art solutions to limit emission of atmospheric pollutants generally require adjustment of engine ignition timing, which can lower production of NOx. Such adjustment, while reducing NOx production, however, increases production of HC and CO, and severely impacts fuel efficiency resulting in a net increase in cost.
Current regulations provide incentives for locomotives used in switching operations only, because they are limited in area of operation to a known geographic location such that the impact of their operation on local atmospheric conditions can be determined and controlled. No incentive is currently available for line-haul locomotives that operate in a large and uncontrolled geographic area.
In light of the shortcomings of the presently available systems for determining locomotive position and controlling emissions, it would be desirable to provide a reliable and cost-effective method and apparatus which could automatically monitor the location of a locomotive and the operating status of the locomotive engine in order to reduce atmospheric pollutant emissions and earn credit for such reduction.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide accurate real-time sensing and recording of locomotive location and operation status.
Another object of the present invention is to enable analyses of locomotive location and operation status for purposes of determining emissions.
Another object is to enable rapid determinations of the status of locomotive emissions.
Another object is to enable a system that will determine and record locomotive location and operation status for purposes of providing an auditable record of operations to qualify for EPA emission credits. A related object is to enable a system that will determine and record line-haul locomotive location and operation status for purposes of providing an auditable record of operations to qualify for EPA emission credits. A further related object is to enable a system that will determine and record switching locomotive location and operation status for purposes of providing an auditable record of operations to qualify for EPA emission credits
A more specific objective of the present invention is to reduce locomotive operating expense by earning credit for emission reduction. A related object is to reduce locomotive operating expense by substituting idling operation of a locomotive, and its incumbent pollutant emission, with operation of an auxiliary power unit, which uses much less fuel and emits much less atmospheric pollutants.
The present invention provides an emissions reduction kit comprising an auxiliary power unit that allows for automatic shutdown of the locomotive engine instead of extended idling operation, and which operates in conjunction with a positioning system and data gathering system that maintains an historical record of all monitored measurements. The historical record may be stored in computer files, which may be made available for report generation for emission monitoring and reporting to the EPA and state agencies. The contents of such reports generated may include for example, the exact location of the locomotive engine, the operating status of the locomotive engine, the operating status of the auxiliary power unit (APU) and the alarm status of the locomotive engine and APU, if any. In addition, the method and emission reduction kit of the present invention continuously monitors all selected parameters such that the information can be utilized to accumulate state and federal emission credits, for sale on primary and secondary markets, for trade, and for use to offset non-compliant classes of locomotives.
The present invention will comply with EPA emission requirements, will save fuel, and will not suffer the fuel penalty and maintenance expense associated with prior art emission kits.